Legacy of TrappedClan
A special thanks to Blade for helping me with editing! WARNING: Some chapters contain violent, bloody death. If you are a sensitive viewer, turn back now. 'Allegiances' TrappedClan LEADER DARKSTAR- sleek black tom with piercing blue eyes and two white spots on his left front paw. DEPUTY BLAZE- golden she-cat with over-dramatically visible muscles and pale green eyes. MEDICINE CAT LEAFPOOL- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, and a white chest/paws/tail-tip. She was allowed to stay the medicine cat. PUREBLOODS BLACK- pure black she-kit with blue eyes. Darkstar's kit. SPLASH- black-and-white tom kit with blue eyes. Darkstar's kit. LIFEBLOOD- white she-kit with gray eyes. Darkstar's kit. BRUTAL- a huge blue-grey tom with amber eyes and pale grey stripes. POUNCER- calico she-cat with yellow eyes and a white tail-tip. TORAK- white tom with patches of storm gray and blue eyes. SIREN- dark brown tom with green eyes. STORM- dark gray tom with green eyes; Siren's brother. KILLER- golden tabby tom with red eyes. WOLF- light gray tom with a white belly/chest/muzzle and a fluffy tail. His eyes are a shade of pale yellow. SERVANTS SQUIRRELFLIGHT- fiery colored she-cat with blazing green eyes. '''CHERRYPELT- brown she-cat with yellow eyes and white paws. LEOPARDKIT- yellow she-kit with blue eyes and dark brown leopard spots. Squirrelflight's kit. HEATHERTAIL- light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Originally from WindClan. More Coming Soon 'Prologue' A Night is broken by cries of cats in pain. A storm breaks out with blood-stained rain. A Clan Rises. Darkness Falls. :A night that never should have happened. Of course, you think that is just my opinion. But you will find that you are very wrong. Even StarClan forbade this night from happening, but sometimes even StarClan cannot control a growing darkness. :A sleek black cat with eyes of blue and a pelt soaked with the blood of his enemies jumped onto a large grey tree that shone in the moonlight. His face was twisted with malice, and his eyes were full of a dangerous pleasure. He observed the cats in the clearing, who were staring up at him with fear so thick he could smell it. :A few of the cats below him were staring at the three bodies at the foot of the Great Tree, devastated beyond word. The bodies that lay there, torn and slumped, were the bodies of three of the leaders of the Four Clans... the leaders who had once ruled over the gaping cats. But the thought that the fire of the Four Clans was vanquished pleased the black cat, and it pleased the cats he ruled over, of course. :"I am your leader now." He sneered at the beaten, battle-scarred cats. "Does anyone deny that?" he asked, daring them to challenge him. :Only one cat stepped forward. His fur was the color of fresh forest soil, and his eyes were usually bright and amber, but the recent battle had dulled them. "I deny it!" he snarled, his fur bristling. :The black cat was surprised at the brown tabby's foolish bravery. He leaped from the tree and approached the cat, his back arched, looking many times larger. "What did you say, slave?" he snarled into the cat's face, hoping to gain his fear. But the cat did not flinch, and looked more defiant then ever. :"My name is Brambleclaw!" The cat's voice rang across the clearing. "And I said I deny it." :The Black cat smiled evilly, showing rows of sharpened teeth. "Well, Brambleclaw, I admire you speaking up for you little 'friends'. Such bravery and devotion needs to be rewarded...." Darkstar pounced on Brambleclaw's back, his cruel claws digging into Brambleclaw's spine. Brambleclaw tried to shake him off, but Darkstar clung to him like a burr. :"I'm not being beaten so easily!" Brambleclaw yowled, and smashed his back into the ground, crushing Darkstar along with it. But Darkstar wriggled free and faced Brambleclaw again, seemingly unscathed. :"Good move," Darkstar mocked. "Where did you learn that, in play-fights with kits?" :Brambleclaw cried with rage and charged towards his opponent, but Darkstar nimbly avoided the attack, and Brambleclaw charged head-first into the Great Tree. He was stunned briefly, but not briefly enough. Darkstar was upon him like a rabbit, and he opened his jaws wide, burying them into the back of Brambleclaw's neck. Brambleclaw shook himself pitifully, but his movements were slow and clumsy, and Darkstar could hold on to him with no problem whatsoever. :"No!" A fiery colored she-cat with a swollen belly rushed in Brambleclaw's direction, but two of Darkstar's guards pinned her onto the ground. She thrashed feebly beneath them, but she was too late to stop Darkstar. An earsplitting CRACK was already echoing around the hollow. Bramblestar fell from Darkstar's jaws, ragged and dead like a mangled piece of fresh-kill. Several of Darkstar's cats yowled with triumph. :Darkstar licked the blood off his paws gingerly as the former Clan cats looked horrified. "This is what will happen to any''one who questions me. And I mean ''any''one," he said. He searched the cats' faces. "Does anyone else deny my leadership?" His words were greeted with absolute silence. Squirrelflight let out a thin wail. :Darkstar spat on Brambleclaw's body. "Get this body out of here and dump it in the lake," he ordered two of his cats. "And get this screaming she-cat out of here. And, Brutal, could you round up the remaining prisoners?" :Brutal nodded. "They'll be in your prison before you know it!" he said, with somewhat of a cruel glint in his eye. "Hey, Pouncer! Help me round up this band of sorry crow-food eaters, will you?" :A calico she-cat answered his call. "It would be my pleasure, Brutal," she said, advancing upon the prisoners and licking her chops. :Darkstar watched mercilessly as the former clan cats were bitten and scratched until they were in a perfect circle, with ''his cats surrounding them. Some cats begged for mercy, but even in the deepest depths of his heart, mercy was not something Darkstar possessed. He jumped back up onto the tree and scraped his claws on the bark beneath him, lifting them so that they glinted evilly in the moonlight. He scanned the clearing to make sure he had the cats' full attention, and proceeded to yowl out a single sentence: "Welcome to the Dark Forest living!" 'Chapter One: Those Below Serving Those Up Above' :"Mama, why do we always have to serve them? They're kits, just like I am!" :Squirrelflight sighed. She was questioned like this by her only child almost every day. "It's because they're Purebloods, remember, Leopardkit?" Squirrelflight said, exasperated. :"That's right," snarled Black, Darkstar's kit. Her eyes were a piercing blue, just like her father's, and Squirrelflight could feel her hot gaze. "We're not FourClan Cats. I mean, we weren't FourClanners like you were." She glared at Leopardkit until Leopardkit whimpered. :Black's brother, Splash, yawned as Leopardkit stuffed more moss into his already soft bed. "Hey, servant, get me a fat, juicy rabbit, will you?" He spoke to Squirrelflight as if she were an apprentice. "And, kit-servant, will you get some more moss? This bed isn't nearly as comfortable as it should be." :Squirrelflight had the urge to clout his ear and tell him what a spoiled brat he was, but she had no choice but to obey him. She was a servant. A nameless servant who existed only to be ordered, and lived only to obey. :But it was not always like this..., she thought bitterly. :But the kit's mew broke her thoughts. "Hurry up, servant! I'm hungry!" Splash whined. :The kit's guard poked his head in the den. "Is everything alright, kits?" he said gently. :"This servant won't bring me my food fast enough, and I'm HUNGRY!" he mewled. :The guard padded over to Squirrelflight, and before she could defend herself, he slashed her ear. "Next time, pick up the pace, or I will report you to Darkstar!" :Darkstar. The murderer of her mate. The word instantly flipped the switch in Squirrelflight's mind to obey at all costs. Darkstar was a brutal, merciless cat, and the name itself controlled her. The pain in her ear dulled by the fear, she bowed low to the guard. "I will do it immediately, Siren." :Siren nodded, looking pleased, and slunk out of the den. :Leopardkit padded over to Squirrelflight, completely unsurprised. Being beaten by the guards had become such a normal thing for Leopardkit to see, and that broke Squirrelflight's heart. "Mama, why are they so mean?" she asked calmly, her soft brown eyes unblinking. :Squirrelflight didn't know what to say. She felt a sob rising in her throat, and gurgled out an indecipherable response. :Darkstar's third kit, a white kit with gray eyes, cocked her head to one side. "You may go." she said in her soft voice. "I will ask Siren to get Splash a rabbit." :Squirrelflight nodded, thanking StarClan- or what remained of StarClan- for the break, and padded away, Leopardkit at her heels. "Mother, I understand you are upset, but... why now?" she asked curiously. "I just asked why they were mean." :"It's not that," Squirrelflight said, finding her voice again. "Now, you run along," she said more briskly. "I'm going to go grab something for Flea." :Leopardkit looked confused, but then nodded and scurried away. Squirrelflight sighed, and allowed tears to fall from her eyes. She was thankful that Leopardkit left before they fell. She would never forgive herself if Leopardkit were to see her like this. :She walked submissively over to the prey pile, which was guarded by two fierce-looking cats. :"What do you want?" One of them snarled. "Prey? Servants don't get any prey, runt." :Squirrelflight shook her head. "I was assigned to feed the prisoners." It was a risky move, but she had to try. :Surprisingly enough, the other guard stepped away. "Only two pieces, y'hear me? Two pieces. The rest are for the Purebloods." :Squirrelflight bent down and grabbed two dead mice. She dipped her head to the guards and carried the prey to the prisoners den, for the cats whose only wrong was to enter this thwarted world. 'Chapter Two: The Only Prisoner' :Flea was a raggedy old rogue with flea-bitten skin, and her grayed fur gave away her age. She proved to be an easy opponent when the torturous cats caught her in their so-called "territory". Ever since she was a kit, she had heard tales of honored Clans of cats living by the huge lake, and that these cats were as loyal as lions and were the wise guardians of the forest. What happened to those cats? Why is this Clan so cruel? :"Flea?" someone meowed. Flea shivered as a cold wind blew in, and turned around. Her face lit up with delight, which was rare. :"Squirrel!" Flea meowed. "How nice to see you! Did you bring something for old Flea, then?" :Squirrelflight nodded and pawed at her two mice. "Of course! Since when don't I bring you prey?" she said. "And it's Squirrel''flight'', remember?" she reminded Flea. :Flea sighed. "Sorry, dearie. As rogues, none of my parents ever had fancy names like so." she said. :"Understandably." Squirrelflight said, sneaking a bite out of one of the mice. :Flea stood in front of the mice. "Leave them alone! They're my food!" She joked. :"No; they're mine now!" She howled with laughter and launched herself gently at Flea. :The playfight lasted a few minutes longer, but it wasn't too long before another guard, Storm, jumped into the den. "So, let me see. A prisoner and a servant, fooling around? Well, I'm going to put an end to that.. with my teeth!" he said evilly, his face in a corrupted sneer. :Storm grabbed Flea's scruff and flung her into the den wall. She shrieked as she hit the cold stone and fell, looking broken. Squirrelflight winced when the guard charged into her shoulder, but she did not dare make any noise. :"Don't you just love it when the trapped cats misbehave? I love to beat them up!" Said Torak, who had just strolled up to Storm with a goofy grin on his face. :"Shut up!" hissed Storm, who struck Torak with unsheathed claws. Torak stalked away, looking dejected. :Storm grunted. "Now get out of here, servant, or I'll make you!" he growled to Squirrelflight. "Do you get my drift?" :Squirrelflight faced him with fierce green eyes. The guard laughed. "Staring at me won't get you anywhere- except out of this den!" He whacked Squirrelflight's head with his paw, and shoved her out of the den while she was stunned. :"Disgusting, cowardly rat!" Squirrelflight growled under her breath. :Squirrelflight dashed away, her concern for Flea melting away to anger. Why did it have to be like this? Why did there have to be so much abuse? It wasn't fair. But she knew she couldn't stay angry; what if Leopardkit saw? :Be strong, for Leopardkit! But the encouraging words were shattered by a voice that made her blood chill. :"Wait." 'Chapter Three: Guilt' :Squirrelflight turned around, her belly churning. And she saw the face she had hoped would not be behind her: the face of Darkstar. His deputy, Blaze, sat beside him, a smirk written on her face. :A fire began to burn in Squirrelflight's stomach, replacing the churning fear. You were the one who stole my place as deputy! She thought with rage. I will get my place back; just you wait, Blaze. :Darkstar's gaze was colder than the middle of Leaf-bare. As soon as he licked his chops and showed his blood-stained teeth, she knew she was in trouble. "So, servant, are we stealing prey now?" :Squirrelflight swallowed, and prayed to StarClan that this would work. "I took prey to the prisoners, your majesty," Squirrelflight said, trying to keep her voice even. :Darkstar looked interested. "Really? And who asked you to do that, servant?" he said, his eyes narrowed. "I don't believe I put you on Feeding Duty." :"I... it... Pouncer told me to!" Squirrelflight blurted out the she-cat's name, unsure of what else to say. "I did not disobey... I only did what I was told, your Majesty." Squirrelflight said, trembling. :Darkstar looked surprised. Truly surprised, not his normal mock surprise. "Pouncer? Really?" he said, quickly catching himself before anyone else could notice. Darkstar fell silent, trying to find words . "Well," he said at last, "Thank you for telling me this, servant. Carry on." :Squirrelflight couldn't help feeling anxious. Whenever Darkstar had that look, It usually meant a plot was brewing inside his StarClan-forsaken skull. :Squirrelflight backed away slowly, bowing as she did so. Darkstar was pleased with her respect. He snorted and walked away, and Blaze was at his heels like a Kittypet. :Squirrelflight gasped, her eyes growing wide. O, great and merciful StarClan, what have I done? 'Chapter Four: Punishment of the Innocent' A troubled cat Sleeps with a troubled mind. The words are said, By her a fate is signed. Torn fur, Bloodied claws, Infractions of the laws. Scars of war. Innocence. :The sun awoke. The morning of regret arrived. :Squirrelflight turned restlessly in her nest, screaming. "Stop! Stop! Fight me, not her!" She twisted and turned, growling and lashing at the air, when she felt a gentle paw on her shoulder. :Squirrelflight woke at once, gasping for breath. She turned to scratch at the cat, but relaxed when she saw the friendly face. "Hello, Squirrelflight! You were making lots of weird noises!" It was Cherrypelt, a close friend of hers. :Cherrypelt had received her warrior name on the night of the attack, which was only a few moons ago. Her brother had not witnessed the attack himself, but had died before he had a chance, falling off a steep ridge and drowing in the raging water below. Despite all of this, Cherrypelt remained cheerful and brightened the other cats spirits, which must have enraged Darkstar. Squirrelflight was worried for her, actually. :Squirrelflight shook the dirt out of her pelt. "I know. I was just having a bad dream." Squirrelflight assured her, biting her lip to conceal the truth of her vicious vision. :"Okay!" Cherrypelt meowed cheerfully. "Well, we'd better get to work, then? Oh, and guess what: I get to entertain Darkstar's kits! It will be marvelous!" Cherrypelt jumped around, speaking so quickly Squirrelflight could barely understand her. :"That's great." Squirrelflight murmured distantly. "They are a pawful. You'd better watch out." :Cherrypelt stopped immediately. "What's wrong?" Cherrypelt demanded. Squirrelflight was about to reply, but Cherrypelt interrupted her again. "I can tell when something's wrong! Those things you said didn't have the Squirrelflight flare I know." :Squirrelflight looked away. "Did anything happen while I was sleeping? Anything... unusual?" :A loud yowl came from outside the den. "All cats will gather here to hear the words of His Majesty, Darkstar!" :Cherrypelt shook her pelt excitedly, the seriousness on her muzzle dissapearing. "I don't think so, but something is certainly happening now!" She bounced out of the den quickly, while Squirrelflight walked out cautiously, and nearly exploded at the dreaded scene in front of her. :Darkstar sat on top of what was left of the Highledge, which creaked and made sounds of diminishing wood under the slim cat's weight. Beneath the Highledge, was Pouncer, with her head no longer high. Instead, she was hunched, and her battered head bowed. :Oh, why StarClan, why? Why did I do it? Squirrelflight thought, her heart beating so quickly she thought it would break from her chest and leap across the former hills of WindClan. Squirrelflight knew all too well what would happen to the cowering she-cat. :Darkstar stepped forward, and began to speak. "Purebloods of TrappedClan, I regret to say that one of us has infracted the rules." Yowls of protest exploded around the clearing, but were silenced immediately by the flick of Darkstar's tail. :Pouncer lifted herself off the dust and looked at Darkstar in complete awe. "Darkstar, please, what have I done?" She trembled. :Darkstar unsheathed his claws. "Don't lie to me! I have seen the way you treat the clan. You stroll around acting like the Clan leader, and the only clan leader here is me, runt. You even put a servant on Feeding Duty, but it is my job to assign servants!" :Pouncer shook her head. "Darkstar, I swear I haven't..." :Darkstar ignored her. "Let us make an example of her!" :The Purebloods roared with agreement. :Darkstar looked around. "Brutal, Wolf, Killer!" :Three cats walked forward and surrounded the she-cat: one blue-grey, one pale grey, and one a tabby. :Darkstar sat silently for a few seconds, building suspense in the crowd of cats, but a deep growl rumbled in his throat. :"Tear this pitiful she-cat to pieces." :The three cats surrounding her exchanged glances of awe, each gaze seeming to say Should we? She is our friend. :But Darkstar would not let them. He jumped up, fur bristling. "Fools! Tear her to pieces or each and every one of you will die!" :Brutal looked stricken, and Squirrelflight could almost hear his thoughts. My mate... can't hurt her... don't listen to Darkstar... :Blaze looked at the scene intently. "Darkstar, Brutal is Pouncer's mate, no?" :"There are no mates here." Darkstar hissed. "Connections to others are for kits to their mothers." :Blaze looked thoughtful. "I have an idea if you will allow me, Darkstar." :"No!" Darkstar yowled. "The Killing will begin now." :Squirrelflight heard a shriek from Pouncer as Wolf lunged at her and his teeth sunk into her shoulder. Killer reluctantly held her down, guilt in his red eyes. :Squirrelflight had the unbearable urge to run forward and save the she-cat from a crime she did not commit, but she could not. She would likely be killed in Pouncer's place, and what would happen to her poor kit? :Brutal was clearly unsure of what to do. Perhaps he was not the mindless drone Squirrelflight had always thought he was. Perhaps deep inside, there was a tiny flame in that cold heart... would he save her? :But the uncertainty left. His eyes became cold, his face murderous. Pouncer stared at him, frightened by the change of emotion. "Brutal...?" she gasped, the weight of Wolf and Killer crushing. :"Good-bye, Pouncer." Brutal said harshly, and slashed her throat with his sharp claws. :Pouncer gasped. Thick red blood poured from the wound in her neck, and she desperately flailed her claws about. But no cat rushed to her aid. Every cat stood rock still, watching the bleeding cat with amusement. :But Brutal would not stop. He pummeled the she-cat's belly with his front paws, even as she sat there, defenseless. This only made the Purebloods watching roar with laughter. :Wolf followed his lead, and slashed Pouner's ears until blood trickled down her face. :At last, Pouncer could bear the torture no more. "Murder." she whispered, and her head fell back, lifeless. Even the Purebloods were silent. 'Chapter Five: "He Knows"' :Squirrelflight didn't speak for days after that incident. Her heart had been left more wounded than poor Pouncer. :At least Pouncer could die and leave her pain behind. But Squirrelflight was quite a different story. :"You seem sad." Splash said brusquely. :Squirrelflight looked up at Darkstar's kit, but looked away and refused to answer. :I've caused cats to die again! What have I done? the thought erupted in her mind. :"Yes, you do look a bit... unnerved." Lifeblood said, her gray eyes dark and concerned. :"Knock it off!" Black said, swatting her sister with her paw. "I'm trying to nap here! Stop pitying servants, numbskull." :Lifeblood hissed and smacked her hard. "I can do what I want. I am a princess!" she snapped. :Black yawned, as if she hadn't been struck. "Weak, pathetic baby." She cursed at her before sinking into the moss Squirrelflight laid out. :"If I were their mother, I would trounce those ugly little maggots." Heathertail whispered very softly to Squirrelflight. :Squirrelflight nodded, her head feeling heavier than a rock. :Heathertail looked at Squirrelflight warily and began to groom Splash, who was getting plumper. No, not plump; fat. This made Squirrelflight look at her nearly empty belly, noticing the difference. :Heathertail shot her a sympathetic look, and Squirrelflight could nearly hear her thoughts. I may have come from WindClan, but here, we are one. I still feel pity for you. :Suddenly, a guard burst into the den, looking very troubled. "Servant." He said to Squirrelflight emotionlessly. "His Majesty Darkstar wishes to see you." :Squirrelflight's eyes grew wide, and opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She followed the guard out of the den, her thoughts muddled and terrified to the point where she wanted to die. But the wished of death did not come. Why does he want to see me? Squirrelflight thought, Surely it isn't... :But Squirrelflight did not finish the thought. She knew all too well what it would be about. :When they finally reached Darkstar's Den beneath the Highledge, the guard drew back. "He only wishes to see you." He explained hesitantly, backing away and then broke into a full sprint. :"C-coward!" She yelled after him in a voice that was clearly choked up with tears. :"Servant?" Squirrelflight's anger stilled as the soft yet dark voice called from inside the den. "Enter." :Squirrelflight had the nagging temptation to run away from the dangerous, murderous cat, but something in her gut told her that she must enter. She took a deep breath and continued past the ferns, preparing herself for the worst. :When she first entered the den, she saw Darkstar chewing on a juicy piece of fish. It wasn't the first pigeon of Newleaf, but the sight of the meat still made her mouth water. :Darkstar looked up from his meal, noticing her, and tossed the remains away into a pile of bones by his nest. He looked at Squirrelflight intently, making her nervous. :"So." He said dully. "You're here." :"Yes sir, I am." She said, her voice shaking. What is going on? :He licked a slimy piece of meat off of his paw, and then turned back to her. "So, three moons ago on the same day tomorrow will be the day I took over your petty little 'Clans'. It was more than a victory; it was an accomplishment. Well, at least for us." He snickered. "But I was thinking that maybe I could have a little celebration." :"That sounds wonderful, your majesty." Squirrelflight said, her tone of voice clearly giving away her true feelings. :Darkstar's whiskers twitched. "And I believe that perhaps a good fight would cut it. A brilliant celebration tactic." :Squirrelflight stared at him blankly. :Darkstar purred maniacally. "Oh, I do enjoy a good fight. Pouncer's death was certainly amusing, and the fight was fantastic." He said, his purr diminishing and his distant eyes suddenly cold. "Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Squirrelflight?" He said mockingly, calling her by her real name. :"Err.. of course not, sir." Squirrelflight said. He knows. Oh, my StarClan. Oh, my StarClan. :"Of course you wouldn't." He said cruelly. "Now, I want you to participate in the fight against my deputy, Blaze." He said, his tone warmer. "Blaze knows that you were to be leader someday, and she would not have any problem knocking out the rest of her already-defeated competition. Then again, I wouldn't mind if she died, either. She doubted my decisions during the earlier killing, but I won't get her for that, especially if you took her out for me. So I wouldn't care to much if either one of you died. It would still be rousingly amusing." :Squirrelflight stood rock-still, wondering how even Darkstar could possibly be this carelessly cruel. :Darkstar yawned. "Now get out of here. The fight starts tomorrow night, and I would get your tail to your den so you can be prepared for it." He closed his eyes. :Squirrelflight padded out of her den. "And if you saw the troubled looks on my guards faces, I wouldn't worry... TOO much, anyway." Darkstar called after her. :Squirrelflight began to pad away from the den, completely dazed, when she heard the voices of Darkstar's Den-Guards behind her. :"Was she asked to fight?" a younger one whispered to a more senior one. :"I don't know." he said, looking disturbed. :"I wouldn't talk about it, if I'se you." Another one said with a slight accent. :It was a relief to know that somewhere, beneath those dark pelts and hearts glazed over with evil's frost, they still had some sympathy. And maybe some doubt against Darkstar. :Oh, StarClan, some of them are on my side! 'Chapter Six: The Ghosts of Ceremonies' (To Be Written)